TR2/3/3A TR3A Front Badge Medallion Anomaly?

[karls59tr]

My friend has a 59 TR3A that has a blue medallion on his car that has "TR3" lettering and the "bar" at the bottom in black! It looks like a factory finish and not doctored. I thought the lettering and bar at the bottom were always blue? Other than the red and black medallions I wonder if there were two types of blue badge made back in the day?

 

[Don Elliott]

These badges are very rare. This was discussed earlier at some length and, if I remember correctly, it seems that when S-T decided to switch to the blue badge, there were several prototypes made and it sounds like your friend has one of these. Once these prototypes were made, it was logical for S-T to use them - rather than throw them away.

If he's ever in a TRA concours judged event, they won't deduct any points providing the Comm. No. of his TR3A is around those numbers when they were making the change from the red one to the blue badge.

 

[PeterK]

I have the same white-blue-black badge on my 58 although my 3A's commision number suggests that originally mine should be red without the "TRIUMPH" lettering (which I have on the shelf). Probably changed sometime during it's life with a apron swap with a 59.

Before ST put the lettering on the bonnet, the red badges had "Triumph" at the bottom of the badge, then removed it after the lettering was added to the bonnet.

The 3 color was used for a very small range of 59 TRs produced between the latest red badge and the more common white-blue badges.

I would think that the concours judges might deduct if your commision number is in the tween range and you do NOT have the 3 color. But I guess that's not the case.

My 3 color is perfect btw, no blemishes of any kind which probably makes it even rarer.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Mine (TS47905L, built 4/15/59):

I have seen a few others and, as noted, the commission numbers were all in the high 4nnnn range.

Note: STC jumped commission numbers about 2000 when they went to the TS50001 changes, wanting I suppose to start the change with a nice round number. I believe those changes (starter, bellhousing etc) began on 4/16/59.

 

[Moseso]

My '59 TR3, #51006 came to me with that badge.
I've never gotten the birth certificate, so I don't know what day in 1959 that was.

 

[HerronScott]

Moseso,

My 1959 TR3 (TS51339L) was built May 4, 1959 according to the BMIHT certificate so sounds like it was a busy 2-3 weeks since Geo's was built on April 15th.

I just checked the Triumph Registry and TS50112L was built April 17 so yours had to be somewhere between April 15-17 and probably the 16th as Geo indicated.

Scott